“He Isn’t a Special Player, He’s a Legend” – Pep Guardiola Lauds Kevin De Bruyne for Inspiring Comeback vs. Newcastle United

Kevin De Bruyne was five months away from the pitch, and he did not need any time to make a comeback. The Belgian played a crucial role in yesterday’s game against Newcastle United, scoring just five minutes after arriving from the bench. The impact he created gained a lot of praise from coach Pep Guardiola, who spoke about the ‘space and freedom‘ he possessed, even while not being match-fit for playing ninety minutes.

The current champions were struggling as they trailed by a goal against Newcastle, who are known to be very lethal at home. However, De Bruyne turning things around for his side resulted in the opponents losing four consecutive games since a streak of five in 2021.

Guardiola speaks about the ‘tight impact’ of Kevin De Bruyne, who turned the game on its head within minutes!

Kevin De Bruyne not only scored a goal but also provided a match-winning 90+1 minute assist. Pep Guardiola was ecstatic after witnessing the sheer magic on the pitch. Speaking after the match, he proudly asserted, “I had the feeling that he’s not ready for ninety minutes after five months. His tight impact from the last 30-35 minutes, you know for the goal for the assist and how many times arriving at the byline for the crosses, so isn’t a special player, he’s a legend.” After yesterday, De Bruyne became the third-highest assist provider in the Premier League with 103! The Cityzens, after losing Haaland to injury, needed someone to lift them.

The Newcastle game was intense, with 4 of the 5 goals scored being exceptionally placed into the back of the net, including De Bruyne’s contributions. Pep Guardiola further stated, “He has little more space and freedom to move where his noise or his guts feel in that moment, you know to create, you know, some passes.”

The 32-year-old’s field-cutting pass for the winning goal was nothing less than brilliant. He found Oscar Bobb precisely in front of the goalkeeper from miles away, setting up the goal for the youngster on a platter. In all likelihood, Manchester City would have lost out on a crucial 2 points if not for Kevin De Bruyne.

Pep Guardiola emphasizes X factor with Haaland and KDB

The City boss also said that he wasn’t surprised by the way his men played, but players like De Bruyne and Haaland make that extraordinary difference. Pep Guardiola went on to say, “The way we play is quite similar without him (De Bruyne), but to win games we type of players like Kevin or Erling Haaland.” The player contributed with a goal or assist in both games that he’s come from the bench.

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De Bruyne was out since August 2023 after sustaining a hamstring injury in the first Premier League game of the season. Pep Guardiola missed the quality that the Belgian brought to the table. City are now just 2 points below toppers Liverpool, and with De Bruyne coming back could we expect another turnaround like last year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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